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Exercise

Stretch Exercise for Leg, Back and hip muscles

Step 1->

Sit on the floor with your left leg straight in front of you. Bend your right leg, moving your foot up to press against your left inner knee. Inhale, sit tall and reach your arms overhead, your palms facing inward. On an exhale, bend forward at your hips, maintaining a straight spine, and place your hands on the floor. To engage the front of your leg, think of lifting your left kneecap up to your thigh. This will help stretch the back of your thigh. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, release and repeat on the other side.
Step 2->

For a more advanced version, try to stretch deeper into this pose and reach around your left foot’s toes with both hands. Bend at your elbows and move the front of your torso lower to your leg. Be sure to keep your chin tucked in slightly to elongate the back of your neck. Don’t round your back to get lower, rather maintain a long straight spine and go only as low as possible without curling your spine. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

An important component of fitness is flexibility, especially for your leg, back and hip muscles. The above two stretch exercises target all three areas in one simple move.

Practice dailt atleast three sets each and take one minute rest.

Sources: Los Angles Times

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Exercise News on Health & Science

Fit, Not Frail: Exercise as a Tonic for Aging

Fact: Every hour of every day, 330 Americans turn 60.

Fact: By 2030, one in five Americans will be older than 65.

Fact: The number of people over 100 doubles every decade.

Fact:
As they age, people lose muscle mass and strength, flexibility and bone.

Fact: The resulting frailty leads to a loss of mobility and independence.

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The last two facts may sound discouraging. But they can be countered by another. Regular participation in aerobics, strength training and balance and flexibility exercises can delay and may even prevent a life-limiting loss of physical abilities into one’s 90s and beyond.

This last fact has given rise to a new group of professionals who specialize in what they call “active aging” and an updated series of physical activity recommendations for older adults from the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. These recommendations are expected to match new federal activity guidelines due in October from the United States Health and Human Services Department.

But you need not — indeed should not — wait for the government. Even if you have a chronic health problem or physical limitation, there are safe ways to improve fitness and well-being. Any delay can increase the risk of injury and make it harder to recoup your losses.

Miriam E. Nelson, director of the John Hancock Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Tufts University in Boston and lead author of the new recommendations, observed last fall in The Journal on Active Aging that “with every increasing decade of age, people become less and less active.”

“But,” Dr. Nelson said, “the evidence shows that with every increasing decade, exercise becomes more important in terms of quality of life, independence and having a full life. So as of now, Americans are not on the right path.”

Jim Concotelli of the Horizon Bay Senior Communities in Tampa, who oversees fitness and wellness program development for communities for the elderly in several states, noted this year in The Journal on Active Aging that many older Americans were unfamiliar with exercise activities and feared that they would cause injury and pain, especially if they have arthritis or other chronic problems. Yet by strengthening muscles, he said, they can improve joints and bones and function with less pain and less risk of injury.

The key is start slowly and build gradually as ability and strength improve. Most important is simply to start — now— perhaps under the guidance of a fitness professional or by creating a program based on the guidelines outlined here.

Although medical clearance may not be necessary for everyone for the moderate level of activity suggested, those with a known or possible problem would be wise to consult a doctor. And a few sessions with a trainer can help assure that the exercises are being done correctly and not likely to cause injury.

Until recently, physical activity recommendations for all ages have emphasized aerobics, or cardiovascular conditioning, through moderate to vigorous activities like brisk walking, cycling, lap swimming or jogging for half an hour a day five or more days a week. For those unable to do 30 minutes at a time, the activities can be broken up into three 10-minute intervals a day. If you have long been sedentary, start with even shorter intervals.

For people who prefer indoor workouts, a treadmill, cross-trainer, step machine or exercise bike can provide excellent aerobic training for the heart, lungs and circulation. Those unable to do weight-bearing exercise might try swimming or water aerobics. Keep in mind that 30 minutes a day of aerobic activity five days a week is the minimum recommendation. More is better and can reduce the risk of chronic disease related to inactivity.

Contrary to what many active adults seem to believe, physical fitness does not end with aerobics. Strength training has long been advocated by the National Institute on Aging, and the heart association has finally recognized the added value of muscle strength to reduce stress on joints, bones and soft tissues; enhance stability and reduce the risk of falls; and increase the ability to meet the demands of daily life, like rising from a chair, climbing stairs and opening jars.

Strength training can be done in a gym on a series of machines, each working a different set of major muscle groups: hips, legs, chest, back, shoulders, arms and abdomen. Or it can be done at home with resistance bands or tubes, hand-held barbells or dumbbells or even body weight. One program, the Key 3 program diagrammed here, was devised by Michael J. Hewitt, research director for exercise science at the Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson. It can be completed in 10 minutes with practice.

 

As Dr. Hewitt explained in the International Longevity Center-USA newsletter, skeletal muscles can only contract and thus are always arranged in pairs. “One muscle of the pair pulls to bend the joint (flexion), and its antagonist pulls to straighten the joint (extension).” Thus, a strengthening program must be balanced, he said, “pairing every pulling lift with an opposite pushing action.”

Dr. Hewitt emphasized that to reduce the risk of injury and premature muscle fatigue, the large muscles should be exercised first, followed by the smaller muscles, with the postural muscles exercised last. For example, one would start with chest and upper back muscles, then the arms and shoulders and finally the lower back and abdomen.

Muscles have to be overworked to grow stronger. The goal for each exercise is three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions to muscle fatigue. Muscles also need time to recover. So strength training should be done two or three times a week on nonconsecutive days.

The new recommendations add flexibility and balance to the mix. Improving balance and reducing the risk of falls is critical as you age — if you fall, break your hip and die of pneumonia, aerobic capacity will not save you. Ten minutes a day stretching legs, arms, shoulders, hips and trunk can help assure continued mobility, and daily exercises like standing on one foot and then the other, walking heel to toe or practicing tai chi can improve balance.

The recommendations, issued last August, are geared to healthy adults 18 to 64, with a companion set for those 65 and older or those 50 to 64 who have chronic health problems or physical limitations. Details can be found at www.acsm.org. Under “Influence,” click on Physical Activity Guidelines From ACSM and AHA.

The experts who made these recommendations urge all adults to adopt them now. As C. Jessie Jones, co-director of the Center for Successful Aging at California State University, Fullerton, said, “People can’t wait until they’re in residential or long-term care to get started.”

Sources: The New York Times

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Exercise News on Health & Science

Will the Wii Keep You Fit?

Wii Fit,” which lets you use the game platform as an exercise tool, is already a runaway hit in Japan and Britain. It was recently released in the United States.

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The newest component of this game is a balance board — a motion-sensitive platform that looks like a double-wide bathroom scale. It can detect how much weight you place on each foot and which way you’re leaning.

Before you start playing, you create a profile, entering your height and age. The game then measures your weight, your body mass index and your “Wii Fit age.” Once you’ve been assessed, you then start your workout, which can include yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance games.
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Sources:

* ABC News May 19, 2008

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Exercise

Aerobic Exercise

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Definition:

Aerobic exercise refers to exercise that involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body. Aerobic means “with oxygen”, and refers to the use of oxygen in the body’s metabolic or energy-generating process. Many types of exercise are aerobic, and by definition are performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time. To obtain the best results, an aerobic exercise session involves a warming up period, followed by at least 20 minutes of moderate to intense exercise involving large muscle groups, and a cooling down period at the end.

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Aerobic exercise is “any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmic in nature.” It is a type of exercise that overloads the heart and lungs and causes them to work harder than at rest. The important idea behind aerobic exercise today, is to get up and get moving!! There are more activities than ever to choose from, whether it is a new activity or an old one. Find something you enjoy doing that keeps your heart rate elevated for a continuous time period and get moving to a healthier life.

Aerobic exercise is continuous rhythmic use of large muscle groups in a weight-bearing manner at sufficient frequency, distance and intensity. Aerobics are the only exercise that changes metabolism and chemistry in enough ways to bring about a wide range of health gains. Examples include: running, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, skating, aerobic walking, swimming, cycling and a few others. Frequency is three to four times a week. Distance, most easily measured in time, is 40 to 50 minutes. As to intensity, the workout must feel like a workout –( low- mod intensity) or 12 to 15 on the Borg scale of perceived exertion. If you are just starting an exercise program, you should begin with a shorter time and lower intensity, gradually working up to target levels

History:
Both the term and the specific exercise method were developed by Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., an exercise physiologist, and Col. Pauline Potts, a physical therapist, both of the Air Force. Dr. Cooper, an avowed exercise enthusiast, was personally and professionally puzzled about why some people with excellent muscular strength were still prone to poor performance at tasks such as long-distance running, swimming, and bicycling. He began measuring systematic human performance using a bicycle ergometer, and began measuring sustained performance in terms of the ability to utilize oxygen.

His groundbreaking book, Aerobics, was published in 1968, and included scientific exercise programs using running, walking, swimming and bicycling. The book came at a fortuitous historical moment, when increasing weakness and inactivity in the general population was causing a perceived need for increased exercise. It became a best seller.

Cooper’s data provided the scientific baseline for almost all modern aerobics programs, most of which are based on oxygen-consumption equivalency.

Aerobic versus anaerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise and fitness can be contrasted with anaerobic exercise, of which strength training and weight training are the most salient examples. The two types of exercise differ by the duration and intensity of muscular contractions involved, as well as by how energy is generated within the muscle. Initially during aerobic exercise, glycogen is broken down to produce glucose, but in its absence, fat metabolism is initiated instead. The latter is a slow process, and is accompanied by a decline in performance level. The switch to fat as fuel is a major cause of what marathon runners call “hitting the wall”. Anaerobic exercise, in contrast, refers to the initial phase of exercise, or any short burst of intense exertion, in which the glycogen or sugar is consumed without oxygen, and is a far less efficient process. Operating anaerobically, an untrained 400 meter sprinter may “hit the wall” short of the full distance.

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Aerobic exercise comprises innumerable forms. In general, it is performed at a moderate level of intensity over a relatively long period of time. For example, running a long distance at a moderate pace is an aerobic exercise, but sprinting is not. Playing singles tennis, with near-continuous motion, is generally considered aerobic activity, while golf or doubles tennis, with brief bursts of activity punctuated by more frequent breaks, may not be predominantly aerobic. Some sports are thus inherently “aerobic”, while other aerobic exercises, such as fartlek training or aerobic dance classes, are designed specifically to improve aerobic capacity and fitness.

Among the recognized benefits of doing regular aerobic exercise are:
*Strengthening the muscles involved in respiration, to facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs

*Strengthening and enlarging the heart muscle, to improve its pumping efficiency and reduce the resting heart rate.

*Toning muscles throughout the body .

*Improving circulation efficiency and reducing blood pressure Increasing the total number of red blood cells in the body, facilitating transport of oxygen.

*Improved mental health, including reducing stress and lowering the incidence of depression.

As a result, aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of death due to cardiovascular problems. In addition, high-impact aerobic activities (such as jogging or jumping rope) can stimulate bone growth, as well as reducing the risk of osteoporosis for both men and women. In addition to the health benefits of aerobic exercise, there are numerous performance benefits:

*Increased storage of energy molecules such as fats and carbohydrates within the muscles, allowing for increased endurance

*Neovascularization of the muscle sarcomeres to increase blood flow through the muscles

*Increasing speed at which aerobic metabolism is activated within muscles, allowing a greater portion of energy for intense exercise to be generated aerobically

*Improving the ability of muscles to use fats during exercise, preserving intramuscular glycogen

*Enhancing the speed at which muscles recover from high intensity exercise

*Strength the heart, thereby reducing resting heart rate

*Helps lower body fat

*Improves your Cardiovascular Condition

*Lowers Blood pressure

*Lowers your total Cholesterol

*Helps to prevent several chronic diseases

*Raises your metabolism during activity

Aerobics” is a particular form of aerobic exercise. Aerobics classes generally involve rapid stepping patterns, performed to music with cues provided by an instructor. This type of aerobic activity became quite popular in the United States after the 1970 publication of The New Aerobics by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, and went through a brief period of intense popularity in the 1980s, when many celebrities (such as Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons) produced videos or created television shows promoting this type of aerobic exercise. Group exercise aerobics can be divided into two major types: freestyle aerobics and pre-choreographed aerobics.


How to find Target Heart Rate (THR)

60 to 90% of Maximum Heart Rate
1. 220 – Your Age
2. Minus your Resting Heart Rate
3. Multiply by .6 – .9
4. Add your RHR
This = your THR

Example:
220 – 35= 185
185- 72(RHR)= 113
113 x .6 = 67.8
113 x .9 = 101.7
67.8 + 72(RHR) = 139.8 BPM
101.7 + 72 (RHR) = 173.7 BPM

Other intensity Indicators:
Borg Scale RPE: self assessment of your exercise bout.. 6 – 20 . Your target is 12-15
Talk Test: slightly winded during activity

Duration of an Aerobic Session
20- 60 minutes Any physical activity
Housework (sweeping floors, yard work.)
Keep moving and have Fun

Criticisms:
When overall fitness is an occupational requirement, as for athletes, combat services, and police and fire personnel, aerobic exercise alone may not provide a well balanced exercise program. In particular, muscular strength, especially upper-body muscular strength, may be neglected. Also, the metabolic pathways involved in anaerobic metabolism (glycolysis and lactic acid fermentation) that generate energy during high intensity, low duration tasks such as sprinting, are not exercised at peak rates. Aerobic exercise is, however, an extremely valuable component of a balanced exercise program and is good for cardiovascular health.

Some persons suffer repetitive stress injuries with some forms of aerobics and then must choose less injurious “low-impact” forms or lengthen the gap between bouts of aerobic exercise to allow for greater recovery.

Aerobics notably does not increase the basal metabolic rate as much as some forms of weight-training, and may therefore be less effective at reducing obesity. However, this form of exercise also allows for longer, more frequent activity and consumes more energy when the individual is active. In addition, the metabolic activity of an individual is heightened for several hours following a bout of aerobic activity.

Aerobic activity is also used by individuals with anorexia as a means of suppressing appetite, since aerobic exercise increases glucose and fatty acids in the blood by stimulating tissues to release their energy stores. While there is some support for exercising while hungry as a means of tapping into fat stores, most evidence is equivocal. In addition, performance can be impaired by lack of nutrients, which can impair training effects.
Click to learn a variety of forms and information for practicing Aerobic Exercise

Resources:
http://www.bjwm.org/aerobic.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_exercise
http://www.claritylimited.com/aerobic.htm

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Exercise Featured

Aerobics at Middle Age Delays Aging

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A new study has found that staying aerobically fit, especially through middle age and beyond, can delay biological aging by up to 12 years and prolong independence during old age.

Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, swimming, cycling or walking – improves a person’s oxygen consumption and boosts their metabolism.

But maximal aerobic power starts to fall steadily from middle age, decreasing by around 5 ml/ [kg.min] every decade.

When it falls below around 18 ml in men and 15 ml in women, it becomes difficult to do very much at all without severe fatigue.

In a typical sedentary man, the maximal aerobic power will have fallen to around 25 mil/ [kg.min] by the age of 60, almost half of what it was at the age of 20.

But the evidence shows that regular aerobic exercise can slow or reverse the inexorable decline, even in later life.

Research by scientists at the University of Toronto in Canada has shown that high-intensity exercise, taken regularly for more than a year, can boost maximal aerobic power by 25 percent, equivalent to a gain of 6 ml/ [kg.min], or 10 to 12 biological years.

“There seems good evidence that the conservation of maximal oxygen intake increases the likelihood that the healthy elderly person will retain functional independence,” an author said.

The other positive spin-offs of aerobic exercise are reduced risks of serious disease, faster recovery after injury or illness, and reduced risks of falls because of the maintenance of muscle power, balance, and coordination.

The results are published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine .

Sources: The Times Of India

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